Y12 2023/24 - support, discussion and looking after each other

[BonjourCrisette]

GCSEs are over and we are beginning the next stage. Let's hope it's a bit less stressful than this summer has been! All welcome to discuss, share experiences and support each other as our children move into Y12/BTECs/apprenticeships and start a new phase.

Steady away here, just trying to nudge her on getting started with planning the personal statement. Summer holidays always seem so long, but they evaporate quickly! She’s away on holiday for a bit with an organised group.
I’m starting to worry about potential issues with her starting next year at uni and boyfriend not going at all. They’ve been together for a bit, but currently she’s happy with applying and so forth. It’s a worry though, but where she wants to go is a direct train journey and fairly accessible. Millions have been through this though, I’m sure they will too.

DD has been having a well-deserved rest. She's seen some theatre, been to some gigs and next week she is doing a research project in Paris which she has some funding for. Then we go on holiday! And I am accompanying her to Paris which will be fun.

She has so far written about five personal statements. It seems to need a lot of fine tuning! It's not helped by not being able to decide exactly where she is applying and what for. But she is thinking now that she is going to take a year out and apply after that with results in hand, so hopefully things will become clearer next year.

@PennywisePoundFoolish I am so glad things have improved for your son.

Holidays feel like they are flying by. DD is hard at work preparing for her UCAT (important and very tricky exam for medical/vet/dentist applicants). Not really thinking about the PS until that's done as the exam will determine where/if she applies. Exam is end of next week and the holidays will feel much more like holidays for her after it, I hope!

I think generally it is hard to balance having a good break and some fun, which is really important, with getting in a good position for next year. Feels like Y13 is going to be hard work and we have younger siblings' GCSEs to contender with too!

Nervously awaiting AS level results tomorrow & fingers tightly crossed DD can stay on the Alevel courses. She should be ok but her performance over the last year has veered from A to E in each module test results generally trending up but the college are quite strict on grades to continue on average 20% get culled

@SummerChilling I feel your pain! Ds going to work so will have to wait for an email later. I cannot call what ds AS results might be but hopefully enough to stay on. Ds is very concerned. Fingers crossed!

@mumonthehill 😂 Yes we are also waiting for AS results and clearly do not want to talk about it. Summer is good as weather is sunny. DS goes for volunteering about twice a week and went for First Aid course. Is your DS doing temporary job? Ds tried but didn't get any interviews.

@Hopeforb he has worked since 15 and is now an open water lifeguard. We live in a tourist area so lots of seasonal work, he is lucky really. Volunteer work is great! Lets hope we all have positive news.

Same here @mumonthehill dd is a pool lifeguard as it pays really well and it was that or cleaning caravans at the local holiday park which all her mates are doing but she works all year which has been really good for her and I don’t buy her clothes any more winwin. Forgot to say she did a year of volunteering first with the swim club which they all do first to get the LG jobs.

Good luck to all awaiting AS level results, I hope that everyone gets the results they need 🤞🤞.

Good luck to anyone getting AS results today! Hope they all get what they want/need.

Dd is getting her Core Maths and 2 BTech results today.
She's a lot less stressed than last year as she knows she can retake them if necessary. I'd really rather she didn't have to though, it will be extra pressure.
Good luck to all.

Will be following the A level threads with interest today. It will be our DC's next in the blink of an eye. Seems the clearing offers are much better than years previously so I'm wondering how it will look in a years time.

I'm also a bit concerned about the longevity of some of non RG courses/unis we are visiting because of the financial precariousness.

A year ago nearly our dc picked up their gcses, wow!
Anyone's dc not doing brilliantly in their A level journey so far and looking for a complete turn around for year 2?
Ds had a difficult year, ongoing mh difficulties.
Got an E at end of Chemistry mock....teacher says he's not one of the pupils on his list that he would advise not to be carrying on so he is carrying on for year 2. Teacher says ds a great chemist but it's not showing in tests.
Results from mocks are C,D,E.

Best of luck to those waiting for AS and other results!

Well 2 ok AS results and one not so good, chemistry is the bad one . Ds upset. Fingers crossed school will keep him on and it looks like a tutor might be the next step.

@mumonthehill and @SummerChilling that's really good that your DC could get jobs at 15. Its so good for confidence.
@mumonthehill good luck for Chemistry and congratulations for other 2 subjects.

Not the grades she wanted on 2 of them but passed and got a surprise A on the third so she gets to stay on her Alevel courses phew! There were tears but she’s requested her paper so we can review the one that’s surprised her. Hope your yp have done ok.

Three Bs at AS here - she's OK but not pleased. Now needs to get at least 2 As predicted to have any chance at all of securing an offer from the university she wants to go to.

DD got 3 As in her AS levels in the 3 subjects she wants to keep on next year and a U in the one she planned to drop as she did no revision at all, so she's happy overall with the result.

I've got to get a move on with planning open day visits as the cheap train tickets are getting booked up.

Well it was a good day for Dd. She got distinctions in her two BTechs, one of which she was very surprised at and still can't quite believe. Both her coursework grades were distinction as well so she's set herself up well for next year.
They don't do AS levels at her school so the a level she is doing was just a mock so she's already had that result.
She also got a B for her Core Maths and school have asked if they can send it to be re-marked as she was one off an A so she agreed.
Phew, next step done!

That sounds all positive @aleC4

DD is really hoping her tutor who was also one of her main subject teachers has changed. When she logs into their portal the name of the teacher is not listed next to her course so she’s got her fingers tightly crossed. The lady was fine just the complete opposite of how DD likes to learn and she unfortunately had her for many double lessons due to being the form tutor as well. When normally they would have two subject teachers per subject not one and a different tutor. Her best subject she had 3 different teachers as they split by specialty and it worked really well for her.

Yes, I was watching the A level/ clearing threads. That’ll be us next year.
No AS levels here but DS has the predicted grades he needs for the type of courses he wants to do.
He’s just starting to get back to some work after being on holiday/at a festival with friends. Mostly he’s reorganising his files at the moment but plans on a couple of hours a day after that. We’ll see…

We did a couple of open days in June, one more planned for September so far. Maybe we’ll manage another but not sure where that would be.

Well done to those receiving AS grades. My ds didn’t do AS exams but looks to be on track for the grades he needs. Still felt the nerves yesterday on everyone’s behalf!

Summer for him so far has been a mix of shifts at his job, 2 trips away with friends (lucky he’s earning!) and our family holiday. He has done some school work too so I’m leaving him to it 😅

Just seen it announced LNER are striking every weekend until November - so messes up plans for York and Durham!

I am south of London so they are a long drive....